Trigun Oneshots
by Yaraslava Rada
Summary: Do you know why they're called one-shots? Cause it only takes Vash one shot to hit the target. M for Language.
1. Chapter 1

AN:/ This first story, the most recently written of the next couple that will be posted, is dedicated to JenovaJuice97 who gave me the prompt when I was bored to tears at work. Don't really like the sappiness of it, but I hope she enjoys it. -YR

It was dark; the second sun had set almost an hour ago. The third moon was just beginning to peak over the horizon and the fourth would be soon to follow. We were walking aimlessly through the desert, just glad to be spending time together. It was quiet, except for my soft humming. The repetitive motion of our interlocked arms rubbing against my bulging stomach was soothing, reassuring. His arm was warm in mine. His whole body radiated a heat that warmed me in the chill air. The wind tousled our hair, playing havoc with my long locks. I smiled serenely as he tucked a stray piece behind my ear, his hand lingering by my face. Our eyes locked and my heartbeat quickened when he smiled. He moved back to my side and rummaged with his free hand in his jacket pocket. I knew what he was reaching for, but let him get it into his mouth before I plucked it from his lips.

"Secondhand smoke is bad for the baby, dear."

"Of course, honey. But you do know it can't hurt him here."

"It's the thought that counts, darling."

"I'm sorry, my sweet."

"I know you are."

"I love you, Millie."

"We love you too, Nicholas."


	2. Chapter 2

"Vash! ...Vash! Come on! Don't be that way!" Sigh "Why do you always ignore me? I just want to talk to you, Vash."

"Go away."

"What was that, Vash?"

"Oh, Nothing, Meryl." Vash says with a wide grin, biting into his doughnut with a happy sigh. Since His Brother's Death he had been helping out around the town, for some reason all the villagers had forgotten that he was Vash The Stampede, and were more then happy to let him work for them, with them. The steady income was enough that he and Meryl and Millie could afford this apartment, and lots and lots of doughnuts.

"Oh Vash. Denying me in front of her?"

"Shut up." Vash says his eye begging to twitch.

"...I haven't said anything, Vash...are you sure you're feeling well?" Meryl says looking up from the daily paper, concerned.

"I'm fine, Meryl. Just a little tired I guess..."

"Then go to bed. You've been working hard ever since Knives..."

"I know." He snaps, and his face is immediately apologetic. "I'm sorry...I'll go take a nap." She hums as he makes his way out of the kitchen.

"Vaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssh!"

"Sh..."

"V V a a S S h h !"

"ShutUpShutUpShutUp. You're dead."

"But, Vash! I'm right here! I'll always be right here..." Vash glances to his left...a child Knives sitting on the floor next to his bed, hands on the bed, head placed gently on top of them.

"You're dead."

"But Vash! You can clearly see that I'm right here. It hurts that you won't admit it. I'm tired of you ignoring me and pretending like you don't hear me when I'm right here speaking to you."

"But the thing is, Knives, you're not right there. You don't exist anymore. You used the last of your energy on that damned Tree."

"But my brother, my twin, we are two halves of a whole; I will not die until you do."

"Can't you be 'not dead' somewhere else?"

"We've had this conversation before brother."

"Then let's skip to the end where you pout and I go back to ignoring you."

"Geeze. If I knew dying would tear me further from you I wouldn't have bothered."

Omake:  
>"You're dead...You're dead. But the thing is, Knives, you're not right there. You don't exist anymore. You used the last of your energy on that damned Tree...can't you be 'not dead' somewhere else?...Then let's skip to the end where you pout and I go back to ignoring you."<p>

Meryl leaned heavily against the door, restraining sobs. Poor Vash. He finally beat his brother and saved the human race..only to lose it when his brother committed suicide. He was hallucinating that his brother was still with him, even while his rational brain told him Knives was dead and gone. Would her poor gunslinger ever get a break?


	3. Chapter 3

"Rem?"

"Yes, Vash?"

"Can I-uhm...Would you mind if I called you mom?" Her continued silence worries him. "You don't have to let me. It was just a dumb thought, I mean your practically my mother already and I-"

"Of course you can call me mom, Vash. But I think it best if we kept this between ourselves."

"Of course...mom." Vash says grinning like a loon. Rem pulls him into a hug.

"...my son..."


	4. Chapter 4

AN:/ Slightly AU.

-VTS-

Depression. The deep black abyss that swallows people whole. He never thought that monster could've eaten him, but here he lay, in the belly of the beast. Even when Rem died he was still okay, not happy by any stretch of the imagination, but he still had Knives, his brother who wants to kill the humans, his brother who killed their surrogate mother, his traitor brother who, three hours ago, had stolen his arm, his brother, the bastard, who would never change. The Betrayer. And his arm! Gone! Like it was never even there! As if his brother hadn't stolen enough from him. Could he even live without his ARM? He feels so hopeless. No point in continuing on, No point in even trying, No point in living...

-VTS-

Vash stood at the top of a sand dune dressed in nothing but his torn and bloody space outfit his brother, the traitor, had found for him. His brother who would stop at nothing to destroy the world they lived in. Vash stumbled down the hill, landing face first in the hot scorching sand. He sighed and couldn't be bothered to get back up. How long had he wandered the surface of Gunsmoke since that fateful night, avoiding towns, bandits, and convoys, just losing himself in the never ending sea of sand and dust? Well, no longer. Vash decided in an instant, that there was no purpose to continuing on. He was tired, and no thoughts could keep him moving. Not even thoughts of Rem. Days later he passed into blessed unconsciousness.

-VTS-

When he awoke he was shocked to find himself in a bed. He turned his head to a window and saw an Eden around him. 'I must have died.' He thought to himself. "Maybe I'll see Rem..."

"Who's Rem?" Asked an aged man sitting on the other side of his bed. Vash's heart jumped in surprise.

"Rem, Rem Saverem. Do you know her?"

"I'm sorry, my boy. I'm afraid there aren't any Rem's in our town."

"I suppose I'm in Hell then?" Vash questions sadly. The old man laughs.

"You're not quite dead. You were about there when James found you."

"I'm...not dead?" He asks shocked. The old man just laughs again.

-VTS-

Weeks pass with plenty of visits from the townspeople. Vash freely explains that he was from the original SEEDs ship, and that his brother, Knives, the traitor, is a danger to everyone.

-VTS-

One day the old man visits him with a surprise: a mechanical arm.

"We saw the source of your pain. The whole town worked together to make this for you. We understand. We know you will be the one to protect us from Knives." Vash is shocked and tears begin falling from his eyes.

"Thank you. Thank you so much! I promise, I will take care of Knives. I swear it."

"We know you will, Vash. We believe in you." There is a moment of silence and the old man turns to leave, but pauses in thought. "Oh, one more thing, the women decided to make this for you." He says leaving a coat on the foot of the bed...bright red...the color of Rem's Geraniums... Vash sobs. "The sooner you show that off, the better, sonny."

"Thank you." He whispers over and over again. The man smiles softly and leaves Vash to himself.

The next morning Vash's bed is empty for the first time in weeks. He can be seen out the window playing with the children of the town, a truly happy smile on his face, his left arm in place, and a red jacket on his back...


	5. Chapter 5

Oh Lord. I know it's blasphemous, but if it weren't for the drinking, the lechery, and the violence, he'd be fucking Jesus Christ reborn. Okay, so maybe the violence isn't his fault...and it's not like he's serious about the girls...and he never really seems seriously drunk, he can snap out of it at a moments notice...Oh Lord, I know it's blasphemous, but maybe, just maybe he's really Christ reborn...


	6. Chapter 6

Another troublesome day in the life of Vash the Stampede. He was draged into three conflicts, one involving his brother, the second a gang bent on ruling a town, and the third because of his insurance girls. He ended up having to take on the bandits on his own and then immediately go save the insurance girls from certian death...or much worse. He was sore, tired and feeling waaaaaaaaaaay too old.

"I'm too old for this..." He mumbles under his breath with a deep sigh. Meryl hears him and laughs.

"Too old? You can't be much older then I am." Her words cause this deep flash of overwhelming sadness, gone so quickly she would have thought she'd imagined it if she hadn't seen it before. His eyes closed instantly as his lips automatically tugged up into a forced smile.

"You're right of course." He says in that fake cheereful voice. Meryl sensed a bit of true humor, but at what she couldn't fathom. 


	7. Chapter 7

Round circular shapes. Perfect multicolored pockets of life giving air. Floating lazily along, happily dancing in the desert winds. Oh! So poetic! He could write an epic about the beautiful balls of diamonds. And the children that gathered quietly around him, waiting for the next breath. Once the last sphere of perfection was popped he blew out another dozen. The children laughed and squealed as they rushed after the newly made windows that floated along, sometimes suspended majestically just out of reach. Vash smiled, he could continue on like this for eternity but the parents only allowed their children an hour or so with the mysterious man. Sometimes they watched on, slight smiles unknowingly gracing their faces. Vash was glad he could bring happiness to the poor people of this town, but there were other towns, and other children to make happy. He only stayed a week, and only visited once every generation. The parents vaguely remembered a similar incident, but brushed it off as a coincidence. Vash however made it a point to remember everyone's names. He remembered even the parents, who as children enjoyed the week-long visit of their own. After all who doesn't like bubbles?


	8. Chapter 8

There is only one place in all of Gunsmoke that it rained...the hidden city.

I was so stunned the first time I was there and the clouds gathered to block out the sun. At first I couldn't do anything but stare. I hadn't seen rain, fresh. cleansing rain, in years...since the SEEDs ship, since Rem. As the first drops hit my face I began crying. It was a miracle. The children came out to play and, overwhelmed, it took me a minute to compose myself so I could join them.

VTS

The last time I was there and it rained was just after the puppet master. I sat in the empty barren land, the great tree towering over me, the sweet grass comforting me. My sister could feel my pain and sorrow. She brought the rain, this time a hard mourning rain and for once I didn't cry alone.


End file.
